Before I could ask him about the club, a server came over to take our order. I got my flatbread, and Century went for a roast beef panini. We both ordered coffee with cream, no sugar.
Conversation flowed easier than I expected.
“You work at the high school with Rain?”
I nodded. “Yeah, she’s a student teacher in the classroom next to mine, and we hit it off right away. Probably because I was in her position at a school in Georgia last year while I finished my degree.”
“What subject?” he asked before drinking some of the coffee our server dropped off.
“History.” I lit up as I talked about my students and the chaos of trying to make the past feel relevant. I was a little shy admitting I was still finding my footing, but he listened like every word mattered.
“Sounds like you love it.”
“Because I do.” I grinned at him. “How about you?”
“I’m lucky as fuck.” He waited until the server set our plates down and walked away to add, “Work at The Pit, the garage owned by the club. Get to custom build bikes for guys who know how to ride them since Kane owns racing teams with the best riders around.”
With how he spoke about his job, it was easy to tell how passionate he was. “I don’t know much about motorcycles, but that sounds really cool, Century.”
His intense gaze practically pinned me in my seat when he murmured, “Call me Levi.”
My breath caught in my chest. “Okay, Levi.”
The chemistry between us only intensified as the night went on. There was a lot of lingering eye contact and accidental hand brushes that sent a spark up my arm each time.
After dinner, his hand settled on my lower back as he guided me toward my car. Right before I reached for the door, he caught my fingers, his thumb brushing over my knuckles. “My mistake almost cost me getting to know you. Not gonna make another one.”
I melted right there in the parking lot, all too aware Levi was going to be the best kind of trouble.
4
SAYLOR
The bell hadn’t rung yet, but my classroom was already buzzing with restless pre-lunch energy. I leaned against the edge of my desk, listening as one of my juniors summarized the reading I’d assigned yesterday. A couple of kids in the back were whispering instead of taking notes, and I shot them a pointed look that made them straighten up instantly.
“Okay, settle down,” I called, unable to hide my smile. “We’ll pick this up again tomorrow. For now, make sure your notes on the Declaration are ready. There will be a quiz on Friday.”
A chorus of groans rose, but most of the students were grinning as they packed their bags. One of the girls near the front waved as she headed out. “See you after lunch, Miss Everett!”
I waved back, warmth filling my chest. I already felt like I belonged in Crossbend. Most of the kids were awesome, and I’d been spending most of my spare time with a sexy biker who looked at me like he wanted to eat me up. Which I really wished he’d do. Soon.
As the room emptied, I sank into the chair behind my desk and pulled out the stack of essays I planned to grade during lunch. I was halfway through the first paper when a familiarsilhouette filled my classroom doorway. I looked up and felt my whole face light up before I could stop it.
Levi leaned against the frame, two takeout bags in one hand and a sweet tea in the other. With grease streaked on a forearm, he looked entirely out of place among the posters of historical timelines and student desks, but that didn’t stop butterflies from swirling in my belly.
I set my pen down with a teasing smile. “Second time this week. Spending your lunch in my classroom on Monday wasn’t enough for you?”
“Figured you might be too busy to eat if I didn’t bring it to you.” He pushed off the doorframe and crossed the room to set the bags on my desk. “And it looks like I was right.”
I flashed him a sheepish smile. “I brought a banana and a granola bar.”
“That’s not lunch. It’s barely a snack.” He started unpacking containers. “Grilled chicken sandwich, extra pickles, sweet potato fries, and the sweet tea you like.”
I watched him arrange everything with a ridiculous amount of warmth spreading through my chest. “I didn’t even realize how hungry I was until you brought all of this. You’re spoiling me, Levi.”
“Good.” He dropped into the chair across from me, his knees brushing mine under the desk. “You work hard. Somebody ought to take care of you while you do it.”
We ate together while I told him about the debate my advanced placement students had gotten into that morning over the causes of the Civil War. He listened like it was the most interesting thing he’d heard all day, nodding along and asking questions that proved he was actually paying attention.
